Process of manufacturing fibrous composition.



T FEM? JAMES C. WOODLEY, OF, EVANS'I'OIN', ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING FIBROUS COMPOSITION.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. Woonmpr, a citizen of the United States, residing in Evanston, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Process of Manufacturing Fibrous Composition, of which the following is a specification.

In my application for patent for fibrous composition and process of manufacture filed February 11, 1915, No. 7,551 (which has matured into Patent No. 1,156,122, October 12th, 1915), I have described the manufacture of a homogeneous fibrous gummy mass by superficially coating a fibrous mass, such as paper with a gummy material such as as phalt and disintegrating the fibrous mass in the resulting gummy mixture without destroying the fibrous character of said mass; and have claimed specifically the application of the process to paper previously moistened or wet so as to weaken the cohesion of its elementary fibers and to soften the sizing on the surface of the paper and thus facilitate its disintegration, in fibrous shape.

The present application is in part a continuation of the foregoing application in that it is based upon a process in which water is added to the bituminous material, and in part is based upon certain additional discoveries in this direction.

According to the invention of the present application water is added to the bituminous material preferably. after the bituminous material and the fibrousmaterial have been put together and indeed after the disintegration of the fibrous material has been partly carried out. The addition of the water makes the composition more plastic. At the same time the moisture tends to prevent the material from sticking to the forming rolls through which it is passed in converting it into sheets or similar products.

I have discovered that having brought the binder to a hot, liquid condition it may be advantageous at that time to add water in suitable proportions directly to this hot binder, which causes thebinder to foam and in this way increases its volume very greatly so that it may be easily spread over the fibrous material. j

' I have discovered also that the addition of a comparatively small amount of 'water facilitates the manufacture of the product from scrap pieces of fibrous material pre viously treated with bituminous material,

such as scrap rubber roofing, .tarred felt, or asphalt-treated felt. The fibrous material in these pieces of scrap has been treated so as to coat it or to saturate it or to both coat and saturate it with the bituminous material. In attempting to disintegrate such scrap when hard and dry it tears and crumbles and is not readily subjected to the kneading or pulling action necessary to produce the substantially homogeneous fibrous gummy mass which is desired. The addition of the water assists in weakening the cohesion of the fibers and reducing the extent of breaking of the fibers in the kneading and pulling operation. The addition of water also appears to soften the bituminous matter and to expedite the bringing of it to the desired gummy condition when kneaded in a heated tank. This may be on account of the distribution of the heat, which is greatest at points near the bottom and sides of the tank, throughout all portions of the mass by the waterwhich is heated and to a considerable extent converted into steam, and thoroughly permeates the mass.

For some purposes the bituminous material is mixed with a filler of granular or powdered material such for example as limestone, slate or soapstone to make it harder or of coloring material to give it a desired color. In these cases also the addi- Specification of Letters Patent. Patantedl Sept 18, 191? Application filed. July 14, 1915. Serial No. 39,880.

tion of water to the mixture has a beneficial effect in quickly bringing the mass in the heated kneading tank to the desired gummy consistency.

In fact, whether starting with fresh fibrous material and fresh bituminous material or with scrap rubber roofing or the like the addition of water facilitates and quickens the operation of bringing the mass to the desired consistency as well as securing a smooth and plastic mixture with enough water in it to prevent its sticking to the rolls when rolled into sheets, or at least to have a substantial tendency to prevent such sticking.

In all these cases, the water does not particularly go into solution with :the asphalt but..isdistributed through'it and also is soaked into the fibrous material. The excess moisturemaybe later driven ofl? by evaporation orin many cases itimay be allowed to remain in the composition. I The following is an example of the process. Scrap rubber roofing consisting, for

example, of felt treated with asphalt is put into a tank which issurrounded on the sides and bottom with a jacket through which is passed superheated steam and in which are shafts carrying blades of any usual or suitable type for kneading the material. The material is then placed in the tank and water added, enough in weight to make say fifty (50%) per cent. of. the scrap; the water may be added in the beginning or after a partial disintegration of the mass. -An additional quantity of asphalt may be added if the scrap is deficient in asphalt for the desired product. And a filler, as above described, equal to say one hundred (100%) per cent. or less by weight of the scrap may be added. The kneading operation and the circulation of the hot water, or the steam generated therefrom, throughout the mass quickly softens the asphalt as well as the fibrous material, brings the mass ,-to a gummy consistency and disintegrates the fibrous material and softens it so that the asphalt pnetrates the fibers to a substantial extent. And as the process is continued the mass is reduced to a homogeneous fibrous gummy product which may be rolled into sheets or otherwise formed into desired shapes.

The following is a second specific example of the process. The material is heated to a temperature of approximately 400 F. in order to reduce the bituminous ingredient to a liquid condition and effect its thorough mixture with oil which is added. The proportions may vary within a considerable range but should be such that when cooled the material is semi-solid and gummy. For example, a residuum oil having a melting point of 100 to 120 F. and grahamite may be mixed in the ratio of eighty-eight oil to twelve grahamite by weight. Or I may take a softer asphalt and temper the same in known manner to produce a product of the same consistency at ordinary temperatures. Generally speaking, the binder or gummy material herein referred to may be a natural or artificial asphalt or natural or artificial pitch of the desired consistency. or a combination of roofing or flux oil or other soft asphalts with harder natural asphalts, such as gilsonite, or with harder distilled asphalts or pitches, or may be any equivalent material or combination of materials. A filler, as above, may be added.

To the binding material (with or without the added filler) is added a quantity of fibrous material such, for example, as waste paper, which may be advantageously in the form of paper shavings or strips, such as the cuttings from a printing shop,

, although other fibrous materials are suitable for the purpose. The mixture of fibrous material and the gummy binder is then worked in the kneading and mixing binding material into the fibers approximating saturation thereof.

After the mixing has proceeded sufficiently to distribute the paper throughout the asphalt, water is added to an extent depending on the character of the materials. The weight of water should not be less than fifty (50%) per cent. of that of the paper and not more than five times the weight of the paper. The paper may have been Wet before adding it to the asphalt, in which case the quantity of water added to the mix ture will be less than where the paper was introduced dry. The water makes the disintegrating operation easier and makes the composition smoother and more plastic. It also exudes to a greater or less extent, (lee pending upon the quantity used, so that the surface of the mixture is less sticky than it would be if no water or an insufficient quantity of the water were used.

After thorough mixture and disintegration of the paper the mass is shaped into the desired product. For roofing sheets it is rolled between heavy rolls. In this rolling operation the surface of the composition is lubricated by the water contained therein and I have found that such lubrication'tends to prevent the mass from sticking to the rolls.

The water added to the paper before mixing it with the asphalt is most efiective in facilitating the disintegration of the paper. The water added to the hot liquid asphalt facilitates the superficial application of the latter to the paper. And the water whether added to the paper or to the asphalt beforehand or added after the mixture of these two ingredients serves to facilitate the disintegration of the paper and the mixing of the ingredients and to make the product more smooth and plastic and to lubricate its passage through the rolls.

What I claim is r 1. The process of producing a substantially homogeneous fibrous gummy mass which consists in superficially coating 9. fibrous material with a bituminous material in a moistened condition and disintegrating the fibrous mass in the resulting gummy mixture without destroying the fibrous character of said material.

2. The process of producing a substan-,

which consists in superficially coating paper with asphalt in a moistened condition and disintegrating the paper in the resulting gummy mass Without destroying the fibrous character of the paper.

3. The process of producing a substan tially homogeneous fibrous gummy mass which consists in superficially coating a fibrous material With a bituminous mate rial, adding Water and disintegrating the fibrous material in the resulting gummy mixture Without destroying the fibrous character thereof.

t. The process of producing a substantially homogeneous fibrous gummy mass which consists in superficially coating'paper with asphalt and adding Water to the mixture, and then disintegrating the paper in the resulting gummy mass Without destroying the fibrous character of the paper.

5. The process of producing a substantially homogeneous fibrous gummy mass which consists in superficially coating paper with asphalt and adding Water to the mixture in quantity not exceeding five times the weight of the paper, and then disintegrating the paper in the resulting gummy mass Without destroying the fibrous character of the paper.

6. The process of producing a substantially homogeneous fibrous gummy mass which consists in superficially coating a fibrous material With a bituminous material in a moistened condition and disintegrating the fibrous mass in the resulting gummy mixture Without destroying the fibrous character of said material and rolling the product through compression rolls, the moisture used being in sufiicient quantity to prevent the mass from sticking to said rolls.

7. The process of converting fibrous mate rial previously treated with bituminous material into a substantially .homogeneous fibrous gummy mass which consists in adding Water to the same and subjecting it in a heated vessel to a kneading operation to bring the Whole into a gummy mass and to disintegrate the fibrous material in said gummy mass Without destroying its fibrous character and to distribute it substantially uniformly throughout the mass.

8. The process of converting fibrous material previously treated With bituminous material into a substantially homogeneous fibrous gummy mass Which consists in adding Water and an additional quantity of bituminous material and subjecting the mass in a heatedvessel to a kneading operation to bring the Whole to a gummy mass and to disintegrate the fibrous material in said gummy mass Without destroying its fibrous character and to distribute it substantially uniformly throughout the mass.

9. The process of converting scrap, which consists of felt treated with asphalt, into a substantially homogeneous fibrous gummy mass Which consists in adding Water and subjecting the mass in a heated vessel to a kneading operation to bring the Whole to a gummy condition and to disintegrate the felt in the gummy mass Without destroying its fibrous character and to distribute it substantially uniformly through the mass.

.10. The process of producing a substantially homogeneous fibrous gummy mass from a fibrous material treated With a bituminous material Which consists in add- ,ing a filler and Water and kneading the JAMES C. WOQDLEY. 

